Guitar
Authority: Equal Temperament Pitch Frequency Table
Standard 6-string guitar tuning (E2-A2-D3-G3-B3-E4) fundamental frequencies: 6th String E2 (82.41 Hz), 5th String A2 (110.00 Hz), 4th String D3 (146.83 Hz), 3rd String G3 (196.00 Hz), 2nd String B3 (246.94 Hz), 1st String E4 (329.63 Hz).
| String # | Note Name | Scientific Pitch Notation | Exact Frequency (Hz) | Alternate Drop D Tuning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (Thickest) | E | E2 | 82.41 Hz | D2 (73.42 Hz) |
| 5 | A | A2 | 110.00 Hz | A2 (110.00 Hz) |
| 4 | D | D3 | 146.83 Hz | D3 (146.83 Hz) |
| 3 | G | G3 | 196.00 Hz | G3 (196.00 Hz) |
| 2 | B | B3 | 246.94 Hz | B3 (246.94 Hz) |
| 1 (Thinnest) | E | E4 | 329.63 Hz | E4 (329.63 Hz) |
History & Origin
Standard guitar tuning has roots in Renaissance-era instruments like the vihuela and lute, which used similar interval patterns among their upper courses of strings. When six-string guitars became established in the 18th century, luthiers added a low E string beneath the existing pattern, extending it downward while preserving the same interval structure -- producing the E-A-D-G-B-E layout still used today.
Most of the intervals between adjacent strings are perfect fourths, but the interval between the G and B strings is a major third instead -- a deliberate irregularity. That single altered interval makes common chord shapes and scale fingerings noticeably easier to play across the fretboard than a fully consistent fourths tuning would, which is why it won out even though instruments like the violin, viola, and mandolin are tuned in the theoretically 'purer' interval of perfect fifths throughout.